Towards Solving the Problems of the Solid Radioactive Wastes From Decommissioned Soviet-Designed Nuclear Submarines

This paper describes the cooperation and inspection arrangements for verifying the dismantlement of non-strategic Russian submarines, including waste handling, in accordance with the provisions given in the bilateral agreement between the Governments of Russia and Norway and the Norwegian Plan of Action for Nuclear Safety. The main concerns during the project implementation are nuclear safety, the individual safety of workers and the safe and secure handling of radioactive and toxic wastes. Based on data provided by the shipyard on individual exposure, one dismantlement project results in average in an effective dose for shipyard workers between 1,1 and 1,9 mSv, depending on the scope of the work for each worker. The main conclusion is that the present handling of solid radioactive waste is not optimal as such waste now is being put into the reactor compartments without the possibility for adequate control, including the retrieval for repacking or transfer to adequate storage facilities, after the reactor compartments have been placed in the long term storage facility in Saida Bay. Today there is no repository in Northwest-Russia for defence-related radioactive waste.